dominant

The dominant is the fifth note of any major or minor scale and the chord built on it. In the key of C, the dominant is G and the dominant chord is G major. The dominant-to-tonic progression (V-I) is the most fundamental harmonic motion in tonal music — it creates the strongest sense of arrival and resolution. The dominant seventh chord (V7) adds even more pull toward the tonic because it contains the tritone — the interval between the third and seventh of the chord — which resolves with powerful directional force. This V7-I motion is the harmonic equivalent of a question and answer, and it underlies virtually all cadential patterns in Western music.